Building construction



Nov. 17, 1936.

' J. QJ. LAwLoR BUILDING CONSTRUCTION 2 sheets-shea 1 original Fil-ed Dec@ 1e, 1933 INVENTOR. Ja/wv d. mz/z an ATTORNEY.

Nov. 17, 1936.

J. J. LAwLoR BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Original Filed Dec. 16, 17933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.l dan/v L m44 0H Pareil Nov. 17,A 1936 BUILDING CONSTRUCTION John J. Lawlor, Plainfield, N. J., assignor to General Foundry Machinery Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Refled for abandoned application Serial No. 702,665, December 16, 1933. This application November 6, 1935, Serial No. 48,472

6 Claims.

My invention relates to building construction and has for an object to provide a new form of building unit therefor and a new mode of assembling said units, this application being a substitute for my abandoned application No. 702,665, led December 16, 1933. 4

A more specific object of the invention is `to provide a form of building unit particularly adapted to be made of metal. I am aware that walls have been made of steel sheets coated with enamel but my building units are preferably made of cast iron, although, it is also within the purview of my invention to make the building units of other suitable materials. Cast iron possesses a number of advantages over steel for building purposes. It provides a more suitable base for a finish coating of enamel, it is less subject to thermal variations and consequently the enamel thereon will not crack or check, and it is also less subject to corrosion.

A further object of my invention is to provide a wall structure composed of blocks or slabs which are anchored in place by vertical anchor rods extending through apertured lugs on the slabs.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear in the following description of two embodiments thereof and thereafter the novelty and scope of the invention will be pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a. portion of a double wall structure made of my improved building slabs;

Figure 2 is a view in section taken in the horizontal plane 2-2 of Fig. 1; y

Fig. 3 is a view in vertical section taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an exterior view in perspective of a single wall structure;

Fig. 5 is a view in section taken on the plane 5 5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is an interior view in perspective of the single wall assembly.

The double wall structure shown in Figure 1, comprises an inner shell and an outer shell with a spacing between the shells. The outer shell comprises a series of slabs I0 which may be of any suitable dimensions for convenient handling. For example, each slab may be 18 inches long and 12 inches wide, but, it will be understood that these dimensions are given merely as illustrative and that other dimensions might be used according to various requirements. Each slab Ill has an inturned flange I2 at each end thereof and also two pairs of apertured lugs I3, the members of each pair being vertically spaced. Each slab I0 has a flange at its lower edge which projects outwardly and then downwardly to form a lip I 6. This lip ts over the upper edge of the next adjacent slab and serves as a watershed to prevent rain from settling in or driving into the 5 joints between courses of slabs.

The inner shell of the wall is similarly composed of slabs I5 with inturned end flanges I6 and pairs of apertured lugs Il. The slabs I5 have no lips at their lower edges but otherwise they are similar in form to the outer slabs. For the corners of a wall slabs of L-shape in horizontal section are provided, that is, each corner slab has two leaves disposed at right angles to each other. 'I'here are two forms of corner slabs for the outside shell indicated by the reference numerals I 9 and 20 respectively. The slabs I9 have a long leaf I9a at the right and a short leaf I9b at the left, while the slab 20 has a short leaf 20a at the right and a1ong leaf zob at the 1era. The 2 terms right and left as used above refer to relative positions as viewed from the outside of the wall when looking toward the corner. Like the slabs I9, each of the corner slabs is provided with end anges and a downturned lip at its lower edge and also with two pairs of apertured lugs projecting inwardly from the long leaf and one pair projecting inwardly from the short leaf.

For the corners of the inner shell of the wall, L-shaped slabs 22 are provided, each compris- 30 ing a long leaf 22a and a short leaf 22h. These inner corner slabs are provided with corresponding end flanges and inwardly projecting lugs positioned to cooperate with the lugs of the outer shell slabs.

The purpose of providing two diierent forms of corner slabs I9 and 20 is to permit of breaking joints in the courses of the Wall structure. In other words, the corner slabs I9 are alternated 40 with corner slabs 20 and since the broad leaves of the outside corner slab are each substantially equal in length to that of the slabs IIJ while the shorter leaves are of substantially half this length, it follows that when the wall is built up with the 45 corner slabs I9 and 20 alternating, the vertical joints of each course will be located midway between the joints of the next adjacent course or courses. In the case of the inner slabs 22, however, it is not necessary to provide a right and a 50 left hand form, but merely to invert one slab with respect to the other so that in one course there will be a long leaf on the right hand side and in the next a short leaf, to correspond with the outer slabs I9 and 20. Thus inner corner slabs are in- 55 terchangeable but the outer corner slabs are not because each of the latter slabs has a lip formed on the lower edge thereof.

In building the wall vertical rods 25 are anchored in a suitable foundation for the wall. The inner and outer slabs are assembled in pairs with the apertures in their lugs aligned and then each pair is set in position with the rods passing through the aligned f'apertures. Each pair thus forms a hollow building block composed of slabs which are held togetlier by the anchor rods. A suitable cement of a yielding waterproof nature is provided between horizontal courses of slabs as indicated at 26 and also a filling 21 of similar cement is provided in the vertical joints between the blocks. Preferably a strip 28 of metal or other suitable material is fitted between the flanges of the inner and outer slabs of adjacent blocks, as shown in Fig. 2. This strip serves as a windbreak in case of any possible leakage between the joints. The strip is thoroughly embedded in the cement, as clearly shown in the drawings.

The rods 25 are uniformly spaced apart and the lugs of the slabs are correspondingly spaced so that the blocks will be interchangeable. Referring to Fig. 3 it will be observed that the vertical spacing of each pair of lugs I3 of the outer slabs is slightly less Ithan that of the lugs l1 of the inner slabs so that the pair I3 may fit within the pair I1.

The slabs of the outer layer preferably have a coating of enamel on the exposed surfaces to protect the metal from the weather and also to give a clean surface. 'I'he enamel may be of any desired color and in fact dierent blocks may be of different colors so as to enhance the ar tistic effect. The lips I4 will shed water and the cement in the joints not only prevents water from entering through the joints but also serves to yield under expansion or contraction. The space between the shells may be utilized for water and gas pipes and for electric wiring. If desired, this space may be left open, or, it may be filled with cement or with suitable insulating material. It will be observed that this building construction is inexpensive, because of the low cost of assembling the building units, and the iinished wall makes a solid permanent structure which is thoroughly fireproof.

To reduce expensive construction still further the wall may be made of a single shell. as is shown in Figs. 4 to 6. In thiscase, the shell is made upv of slabs 30 which. are preferably formed of cast iron with inwardly projecting apertured lugs 3|. These lugs are iiush with the upper and lower edges of the slabs so that they serve as supports for superposed slabs. In addition to the lugs reinforcing ribs 32 may be provided at suitable intervals preferably near each end of each slab. Each slab is also provided at its lower edge with a lip 33 which serves the same purpose as the lip i4 in the double shell construction. Foi` the corners of the wall, right and left hand corner slabs 35 and 3G are provided which differ from each other in the fact that one of the slabs has a long leaf on one side while the other slab has a short leaf on the same side.

As in the double wall construction vertical rods 31 are anchored in a suitable foundation and as the slabs are assembled their apertured lugs are strung on these rods. 'I'he slabs thus rest edgewise one on top of the other with the lugs of one slab providing a support for the next slab above. By using alternate right and left hand corner slabs the joints in one course 0f slabs will be metal exterior and a wallboard interior.

staggered with respect to those in the next ad jacent course. As the slabs are assembled the joints between the courses are filled with cement as indicated at 40 and the joints between the slabs are also filled with similar cement as indicated at 4|. This cement is of the same type as that described above and serves as a water-proof seal between the slabs and also is yielding so as to allow for variations in contraction and expansion due to thermal causes.

The interior of the wall may be built up in various ways. Preferably uprights 42 are bolted at intervals to the ribs 32, the latter being formed with bolt holes as shown, and then a fire-proof wall-board 43 is nailed to the uprights. Thus, a. hollow wall will be provided with a 'I'he exterior face of each slab is preferably coated with enamel.

While I have described two embodiments of my invention I wish it to be understood that these are to be taken as illustrative and not limitative and that I reserve the right to make such changes in form, construction and arrangement of parts as may fall within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A building block composed of a pair of slabs, each slab being formed with pairs of inwardly projecting apertured lugs, the members of each pair being vertically spaced apart with their apertures aligned, the vertical spacing on one slab being slightly greater than that on the other, whereby the slabs may be joined by fitting their pairs of lugs one upon the other, and vertical rods passed through the aligned apertures to tie the slabs together.

2. A corner building block comprising a pair of parallel mutually-spaced slabs, each slab comprising a pair of leaves disposed at an angle to each other, each leaf having a vertically spaced pair of lugs projecting toward the opposite slab, the lugs of one slab fitting between the lugs of the opposite slab with the apertures thereof vertically aligned, and vertical tie rods passed through the aligned apertures to tie the slabs together.

3. A wall structure comprising a series of hollow building blocks laid in courses, each block consisting of an outer and an inner slab of cast metal with inwardly projecting end flanges, apertured lugs projecting from the inner face of each slab with the lugs of one slab overlapping the lugs of the opposite slab, vertical tie rods passing through the overlapping portions of lugs and tying the courses of slabs togetherand also the opposite slabs toeach other, and cement in the vertical and horizontal joints between the blocks.

4. A Wall structure comprising a series of hollow building blocks laid in courses, each block consisting of an outer and an inner slab of cast metal with inwardly projecting end anges, apertured lugs projecting from the inner face of each slab with the lugs of one slab overlapping the lugs of the opposite slab, vertical tie rods passing through the lugs and tying the courses of slabs together and also the opposite slabs to each other, a cement in the vertical and horizontal joints between the blocks, and vertical strips fitted between the slabs and intercepting the vertical joints between adjoining blocks, and held in position by said cement.

5. As an article of manufacture, a building unit comprising a pair of parallel slabs formed with inwardly projecting flanges at their ends,

lugs projecting from the inner faces of said slabs, a vertical strip interposed between the vertical edges of said inwardly projecting ilanges and disposed at an angle thereto, means for securing said strip to said flanges and tie rods for engaging said lugs.

6. A wall structure comprising a series of hollow building blocks laid in courses, each block consisting of an outer and an inner slab of cast 1o metal with inwardly projecting end anges, apertured lugs projecting from the inner face of each slab with the lugs of one slab overlapping the lugs of the opposite slab. vertical tie rods passing through the overlapping portions of said lugs and tying the courses of slabs together and also the opposite slabs to each other, vertical strips intermediate said inwardly projecting end flanges, and a cement in the vertical and horizontal joints between said slabs and said strips.

JOI-IN J. LAWLOR. 

